Nomad Theatre seeks submissions for The Art Show

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Webster’s defines “Art” as, “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination”. It can manifest in painting, sculpture, writing, dance, or…theatre! For the next Nomad Theatre production, we want to celebrate our creativity!

Performances will be held at The McLean County Art Center in Bloomington IL

March 5th at 7:00 and March 8th at 5:00

Still accepting submissions:

Please submit plays centering around “The Art Show”. Because Nomad performs in site specific locations, the show will be staged in a local art gallery! Nomad is requesting submissions of plays ranging from 5 to 30 minutes in length that involve any kind of art and have a cast of 4 or fewer. NOMAD has a wide range of actors available, ranging in age from 18 to 81.

Please submit your entry by January 1, 2020, to nomadtheatre.artplays@gmail.com

Women's Project Theatre Lab 2020 - 2022

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WP Theater is looking for early career women+ playwrights, directors, and producers who crave an artistic home, professional support, and the resources to launch them into the next phase of their careers to join the WP Lab.

The Lab provides up to fifteen artists with community, a vital professional network, entrepreneurial and leadership training, free rehearsal space and, most significantly, tangible opportunities for the development and production of bold new work for the stage.

Applications for the 2020-2022 lab will close on January 6, 2020 at 11:59pm.

All materials will be reviewed by a panel of theater professionals. Finalists will be notified in the spring 2020 and asked to interview. The 2020-2022 Lab will begin in September 2020.

If you have specific questions, please email 2020Lab[at]wptheater.org after reading the Frequently Asked Questions section. No phone calls, or emailed applications please.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be a woman+ artist living within 90 minutes of WP Theater via car or rail
• Must be able to attend evening meetings at WP Theater twice each month for the duration of the two years, as well as other events throughout the year, such as master classes, retreats, observerships and other special events at WP
• Regular attendance is mandatory and therefore applicants should view the program as a two-year-long commitment
• Must be available for an in-person interview

THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS WILL:

• Receive a stipend
• Participate in a monthly lab meeting led by WP Artistic Staff and Lab Liaisons
• Participate in a bimonthly meeting of the five artists in their concentration led by a mentor in their field
• Participate in master classes led by established artists
• Receive complimentary tickets to WP shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
• Receive artistic support and professional development guidance from the artistic staff
• Participate in The Pipeline Festival, a festival of five new plays, written, directed and produced by the WP Lab, to be presented during the second year of the residency

For further clarification of Requirements for Eligibility, please see the Frequently Asked Questions

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

All applicants must submit the following:

• Current resume
• One page statement that describes your artistic vision and the specific process behind it and why this residency would be useful for you in this moment of your career.
• A list of 3 professional references, including title/affiliation, phone and email

Playwrights:

• In a separate PDF, the full length script most representative of your work and that you believe to be ready for production.
• The draft should not have your name or any other identifiers.
• The play must be at least 60 pages long, and must be a completed draft, though it need not be a final draft.

Directors & Producers:

• A list of upcoming productions, workshops, readings and other projects with dates, venues, and your role.
• You may also include a link to your website, or other online resources.
• Additional materials should not exceed 3 pages and may include reviews (no excerpts) and photos
• Hard copy applications will not be accepted.
• Emailed applications will not be accepted.
• All materials will be reviewed by a panel of theater professionals. Finalists will be notified in the spring 2018 and asked to interview in the summer 2018. The 2018-2020 Lab will begin in September 2018.

For further clarification of materials required for application, please see the Frequently Asked Questions Section below.

TO APPLY:

PLEASE VISIT OUR SUBMITTABLE SITE TO APPLY.

YOU MAY ONLY APPLY TO ONE DISCIPLINE PER LAB CYCLE.

• Hard copy applications will not be accepted
• Emailed applications will not be accepted.
• If you have specific questions, please email 2020Lab[at]wptheater.org after reading the Frequently Asked Questions section below. No phone calls, or emailed applications please.

Share Your Theater Story - Matthew Weaver

THE GREAT FISH AND JONAH
 Haley Forrester

Thanks to Matthew Weaver for sharing his theater story.

One 2019 opportunity that will stand out for me was getting the chance to see my one-act play THE GREAT FISH AND JONAH produced as part of the Spokane Civic Theatre's Playwrights Forum Festival. 

The play is a humorous retelling of the story of Jonah and the whale, ahem, great fish, from the Bible. 

I was on the way to hang out with my brother, driving along Hawthorne Road in north Spokane (I don't know why this detail, the road I was driving upon, seems pertinent, but it does, so that's why I include it) when the idea popped into my head: Jonah and the whale are best friends. 

It was too adorable to pass up. The opening lines of the play came almost immediately, fully formed.  

As I wrote it, I definitely was considering submitting it to the festival. And as I wrote it, I began to hear the voices of two performers I'd seen and come to admire in other plays in previous festivals, Tristen Canfield, herself an excellent playwright (drop everything and read her THE WINDOW) for Jonah ("Yeah. I know how their minds work. Watch ‘em turn me into a guy and stick me in the Old Testament.") and Dave Rideout - also an excellent playwright and now an NYC actor! - for the whale, ahem, great fish, Herman. (Because OF COURSE he's named Herman!) ("And along comes a hero ...") 

I was delighted, of course, when the play was selected for the festival. And also delighted when it received a parallel production in Burien, WA, during the Burien Actors Theatre's Playwrights festival, directed by Rachel Rene and starring Haley Forrester as Jonah and Rex Waters as Herman. 

The first evening of auditions went very well. The second evening, I took my director, Matthew Harget aside, and said we'd get wonderful actors no matter who was cast. But just for his information, when I wrote the play, I'd heard Tristen and Dave's voices in my head. 

In what seemed like the very next moment, both Tristen and Dave walked through the door to try out. 

Everyone did a fantastic job, but it worked out that Tristen and Dave were available and willing to bring life to the parts. 

The festival emphasizes the importance of giving playwrights the opportunity to fully experience the collaborative process, so I got to watch first hand as Matthew, Tristen and Dave gave their all to bringing my words to life. As I told a friend, sometimes it was very hard to remain calm during rehearsals, and not just sit there, gazing adoringly as two very good actors and a very good director treated something "little old me" wrote, like it was a real play or something. They'd deliver a line one way, and it would be 

WONDERFUL, and then Matt would make a suggestion and they'd make a change, and it would be just as WONDERFUL, in a completely different way. Writing can be such a solitary activity; it was fun just to be in the room! 

This was one of the first times for me, as a writer, to have actors actually take on the roles I'd written for them. I could get used to it ... It was just as much fun to attend the Burien show, after watching rehearsals, and to get to see it fully-staged, and to see the similarities and differences, where I'd been pretty hands-on, to available over e-mail but mostly hands-off. I was over-the-moon pleased by both productions. 

It was especially meaningful, gratifying and humbling for me when the play received the Spokane festival's Adjudicator's Choice Award. And to get to reveal to both Tristen and Dave during audience talkbacks that the parts had been written with them in mind.
The entire thing was a gift, from beginning to end. Nineteen is my lucky number, and this was a year when I was 38 (19+19) in 2019, and the whole entire GREAT FISH AND JONAH experience is one that stands out in a particularly meaningful year. 

Pictures are of Dave, Tristen, me and Matthew Harget from Spokane, and Haley Forrester from the Burien production. (Please credit Burien Actors Theatre for this photo.) 

GREAT FISH & JONAH is on New Play Exchange, as is Tristen's THE WINDOW
https://newplayexchange.org/plays/229924/great-fish-jonah
https://newplayexchange.org/plays/315253/window
The Spokane show is also available on YouTube (at about 1 hour 13 minutes in):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIkctf6Ci50  

La Maison Baldwin Residency

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Shortly before James Baldwin passed away, he told close friends in Saint-Paul de Vence that he dreamed of seeing his beloved house made into a writers' colony. This medieval village, with its uncommon light, its majestic mountaintop placement and surrounding countryside, has for centuries attracted artists, architects, alchemists and thinkers, great minds intent on changing the world. Here is where Baldwin wrote some of his most enduring books, including If Beale Street Could Talk, Just Above my Head, and his sole book of poetry, Jimmy's Blues.

Writers in residence are offered a room in the village center to pursue their current creative project. While in residence, they will contribute to the literary culture of Saint Paul de Vence by offering a community event or creative public program.
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They are hosted at La Maison Baldwin Residence for Writers, a house in the historic center of St. Paul de Vence located directly across the street from the village church. The home features a 3rd-floor bedroom suite with a sunny terrace overlooking the tiled roofs of the village and the valley beyond.

Residents also stay in a charming artist cottage made available to the program through a partnership with the city of St. Paul de Vence.

Lunch every day is offered to the resident writers through partnerships with local restaurants and host families. The fellowship includes a $700 travel stipend.
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Eligibility and How to Apply
This fellowship is open to emerging writers working in the spirit of James Baldwin. Eligible to apply are poets, playwrights, essayists and fiction writers with no more than one published book or staged production.
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The review committee will select ten fellows for residencies of 2 to 4 weeks in fall 2020 (Sept 15 to Oct. 31) or spring 2021 (April 1 to May 15).
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To apply, send a cover letter, a brief bio and writing sample of ten pages to residency@lamaisonbaldwin.fr with the subject line "residency application." The deadline is December 31, 2019. 

Please indicate your preferred residency duration and period

Short Play & Musical Festival - SEX 2020

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SPF - Sex 2020 submissions are now open.

They close January 2nd, 2020 at 11:00pm.

Submit via Submittable

The festival runs Feb 13th-March 1st (3 weeks) and your show would perform 4 nights during one of the three weeks...per usual!

To submit go to www.shortplaynyc.com and scroll down on the HOME page (the website is in the process of being updated now, but the submission page is ready for you!)

Festival is produced by Be Bold! Productions at
The Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre at The Players Theatre
115 MacDougal Street, New York, NY  10012 - 3rd floor

3 weeks, 4 performances weekly (Thursday through Sunday),

5 plays featured each week.

 ELIGIBILITY:

Short Plays and Musicals with a performance time of 15 minutes or less, no more than 15 pages in length.

Writers are eligible to submit up to 2 plays.

 THEMES:  "SEX!" (Feb) "NYC" (June) “Boo!” (OC

All plays submitted must be centered on, or revolve around this theme.

** Note **

1) Playwrights are responsible for producing their own play - Host provides Theatre, technicians, marketing and box office

2) If selected, there is a $100 REFUNDABLE deposit required and a $50 NON-refundable tech fee required

Plays MUST be NO MORE 15 minutes in length and no more than 15 pages


Visit our website: www.shortplaynyc.com

Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival

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THE 2020 MARILYN BIANCHI KIDS’ PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES WILL TAKE PLACE AT DOBAMA THEATRE ON JUNE 5TH-7TH

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 41ST MBKPF ARE DUE BY MONDAY MARCH 2, 2020.

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN APRIL 2020.

THE 42ND MBKPF PERFORMANCES WILL TAKE PLACE JUNE 5-7, 2020
DOBAMA THEATRE IS ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 42ND ANNUAL MARILYN BIANCHI KIDS' PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL!

Submissions are open for the next Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival. Since 1979 the MBKPF has been an integral part of Dobama Theatre’s mission to provide educational outreach programming. Our goal is to provide a platform for children to express their thoughts, hopes, dreams and creativity through the writing of original plays.

THE RULES ARE SIMPLE

Any student grades 1-12 can submit a play, whether home-schooled or attending a public, private or charter school – all are welcome!

Plays must be the original work of the individual student who is submitting it. No collaborations, adaptations, or copying situations or characters from movies, TV, books, video games or other plays.

Submitted plays should be no longer than 10 minutes when read aloud.

The play may be any genre: comedy, drama, mystery, fantasy - wherever your imagination leads you.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

Plays typed in a Word Document can be emailed to youngplaywrights@dobama.org. While we strongly encourage electronic submissions, hard copies of typed plays may be mailed to:


THE MARILYN BIANCHI KIDS' PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL
DOBAMA THEATRE
2340 LEE ROAD
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH 44118

*Please include a title page and a completed Entry Form. Entry Forms can be downloaded below.
DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM
Every play will be read and scored by at least three judges, all of whom have writing, education and/or theatre experience.

Readers award points on the basis of imagination and human values as much as playwriting skills. The age and grade of each playwright will be taken into consideration by the judges.

Between 8 and 12 high-scoring plays will be selected for production on Dobama's stage for the Festival performances in June.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR GETTING STARTED

Start with a topic or situation that interests you.

Try reading the play out loud. Does the dialogue sound natural? Does the audience have the information they need to understand what's happening? Do all the characters contribute to the story?

Time your play as you read it. Is it 10 minutes or shorter?

Every play needs characters! The characters can be people, animals, monsters, robots, plants, anything. Aim to have between 2 and 10 characters.

Every story needs action. What are the characters trying to do? What stands in their way? How do they try to solve the problem? (Remember that a play is different from a movie, so think about whether your story can be acted out onstage)

Remember, these are just suggestions!

Share Your Theater Story 2019: Tom Misuraca

Author Tom Misuraca, Composer Ruth Judkowitz, director and choreographer Katie Hutch,
Musical Director Kent Jeong-Eun Kim, Josh Bartosch, Allen Berryman, Michael Cummings, 
David Scott Curtis Dan Kadish, Rina Maejima, Frankie Gallucci, Mikey Miller, 
Michaela Moore, Sarah Musicant and Kevin Rogers

Thanks to Tom Misuraca for sharing his theater story.

2019 was an amazing year. I had four full-length plays produced in three major cities. I won the Las Vegas Little Theatre New Works Award for the second time with my play, FIGMENTS. It was produced there in April. GEEKS! THE MUSICAL was produced Off-Broadway in May. MASTERS OF THE DARK REALM was produced by Force of Nature Productions in North Hollywood in June. And SUICIDAL BLONDE (starring Kimmy Robertson of TWIN PEAKS and Pam Trotter of DREAM GIRLS) was produced in Los Angeles in September. 

Besides that, I had 19 short plays produced, stage read or broadcast around the country: Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, Boston and more. Even a few in London! As always, I doubt I'd have half of these productions if it weren't for NYCPlaywrights!  

Can't wait to see what 2020 brings! Here's wishing it's filled with good surprises for all of us! 

CORKSCREW 2020 THEATER FESTIVAL

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JULY 30 TO AUGUST 30, 2020 | A.R.T./NEW YORK THEATRES - MEZZANINE THEATRE

Founded in 2017, Corkscrew Theater Festival showcases premiere productions by early-career theater artists who are creating rigorously innovative, exuberantly ambitious work. Merging the developmental support of a theater company with the energy of a festival, Corkscrew prioritizes new and underrepresented voices by reducing the very real financial barriers to producing work in New York City. Our commitment to collaboration promotes interaction and dialogue among artists across the festival, building a community around a season of theater and offering audiences a unique opportunity to see high-level presentations of work at varying stages of development by artists they may not know—yet!

The result? Five weeks, five productions, five readings, fifty performances, and YOU. We want you to apply to participate in this festival!

Corkscrew’s model is an extension of our belief that we can do more together than we can individually: by presenting our work in a festival setting that facilitates meaningful collaboration between and among its artists, we mutually benefit.

• We are committed to ensuring all our artists and audiences feel supported as artists, arts lovers, and human beings. In addition to Corkscrew’s foundational principle of providing financial support to artists in the form of commissioning fees and production costs assistance (for more information on the pecuniary specifics, please see the section “What We Do for You”), we assure the following: Submissions will be blind-read by a diverse reading team. 
• The A.R.T./New York Theatres are fully ADA accessible, including dressing rooms, control booth, and, of course, front of house. 
• We recognize systemic challenges to connecting audiences perhaps unfamiliar with the world of theater festivals; we are committed to assisting with outreach for artists whose ideal audience isn’t ready-made by the usual theatergoer avenues.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

• Generative artist bios;
• Short answers (200 words) to five open-ended questions about the project:

• Why do you want to undertake this project? 

• What is the key collaborative relationship of this project?* 

• What are your goals concerning the development of this project?

• What is a key production (i.e., design) element of this project?

• Who would want to see this show?

• A draft of a script, or other document demonstrating the scope and content of the project; and
• One or more work samples (photos, audio, or video)

Applications will be accepted through January 10, 2020. 

Phone interviews will take place in the first week of March. All applicants will be notified of their status by March 15, 2020.

*While Corkscrew prioritizes collaboration, individuals are more than encouraged to apply--we’re about nurturing new collabs as much as uplifting founded ones! If you are applying as an individual, please explain in the key collaborative relationship section, in as much detail as possible, the collaborative positions you’re hoping to fill.

HOW TO APPLY
Our application is live! Fill out this informational google form. This is where you’ll upload your short answers, script, and supporting materials.

➨ Please Note that to complete the form, you’ll need to have a Google Account (you can create one here). We use a host of Google products to run Corkscrew, including interviews conducted by Google Hangout.

WHAT WE DO FOR YOU

PRODUCTIONS

Development.
a) Each production will receive $1,500 to split among its generative artists as a commissioning fee for presenting your work in the festival.
b) Corkscrew creates two spaces to assist with your developmental goals. The first is our biweekly Directors & Producers Lab, where we gather to problem-solve production elements and learn from one another. The second is literary support for the playwrights/lead artists in the form of one-on-one dramaturgical meetings and a monthly writers’ group meetup.
c) Corkscrew connects each production with our team of professional casting directors, who facilitate a broad search for the talent needed to bring each project to life.
d) Our developmental support culminates in a June table reading for each production, designed to give playwrights a draft deadline and an opportunity to share their work with fellow participants before the rigors of the production process.
e) Beyond all this, our artistic leadership - experienced playwrights, directors, and producers accustomed to working in this setting - are here for you throughout the process. You’ll also be working alongside four other productions, forming a network big enough to be helpful, yet small enough to be personal.

Production. Corkscrew facilitates ambitious, transformative designs. As such:
a) Each production will receive $900 in physical production costs, as well as the full support of our Technical Director and Production Management staff in the building and load-in of your production’s set.
b) Corkscrew will underwrite the cost of hiring a Production Stage Manager and a Wardrobe Supervisor for the festival’s run.
c) Every production will receive at least 16 hours of dedicated technical rehearsal time in the theater.
d) During performances, productions will be “in rep” with each other (i.e., three different plays may perform in the space on the same day). All productions will have one hour before their show to restore their set on stage, and one hour after the show to remove and store it offstage. Corkscrew’s Production Management team will facilitate these changeovers through additional staffing under the oversight of your Production Stage Manager, enabling each team to fully transform the space.

3. Performances.

a) Each production receives 9 performances over the course of the five weeks of the festival.

b) Performances times are in the evening (Monday-Thursday), or afternoon, early evenings, or evenings (Friday-Sunday).

c) We provide front-of-house and box office staff.

4. Marketing.

a) Beyond the built-in advantage of four other shows bringing audiences into the theater where you’ll be playing, we’re committed as a festival (with actual people and actual money) to marketing your show.

b) We also expect our production producers to spearhead show-specific marketing efforts. We work directly with producers to facilitate show-specific marketing opportunities and audience outreach efforts.
5. Affordability.

a) There are no fees for applying for or participating in Corkscrew Theater Festival.

b) Our co-producer agreement with each team includes a box office revenue split.

c) Our base ticket price is $28, with discounting and access initiatives available for each production. Every production will have a designated “pay-what-you-can” performance.

READINGS

Development. We dare artists to dive into that passion project or flesh out that “unproducible” idea. We’re here to support you through arranging one-on-one meetings and informal gatherings to hear your work aloud, and by providing a sounding board as you do your work heading into public performances.
Performances. With the understanding that nothing will be considered “finished,” participants in our Reading series will get 2-3 hours in the space ahead of their public showing to smooth out the kinks and give the best representation of their work.
Follow-up. We’re experienced at parsing audience feedback and helping you discover where your project should head next.
Affordability. There are no fees for applying or having your reading in Corkscrew Theater Festival. Tickets for the readings are free.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

Corkscrew is not prescriptive in terms of genre, content, or theme. All kinds of theater (so long as you consider it theater) are welcome! The evaluative criteria we’ll use to choose the work presented in the festival are as follows:

1. An innovative perspective and adventurous scope for the project.
2. Passion for the project from all of the generating artists, or if applying without collaborators, an active interest in forming new collaborative relationships to further the piece. 
3. Understanding of how Corkscrew’s unique development process will serve your (and our!) goals for realizing the best possible version of your piece. 

Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest

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To encourage the development of quality theatrical materials for the educational, community and children’s theatre markets, Pioneer Drama Service is proud to sponsor the annual Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest.

This is an ongoing contest, with a winner selected by June 1 each year from all eligible submissions received the previous year.  

All eligible plays accepted for publication will be considered contest finalists, from which the winner will be selected.  The contest winner will receive a $1,000 royalty advance in addition to publication.

Individuals currently published by Pioneer Drama Service are not eligible for this contest.  Pioneer Drama Service employees and their families are also excluded.

Contest entries must meet all general guidelines and submission requirements.

Submission Guidelines

We accept unsolicited manuscripts that meet the parameters defined in these guidelines.  However, we prefer for you to send us a query letter if you are not submitting through one of our playwriting contests.  You can also start the submission process by contacting us here.
We will only consider manuscripts with a running time between 20 and 90 minutes.
Submissions must be family friendly in both subject and language.  NO cursing.  NO explicitly adult content.

We prefer casts that are either balanced or favoring females.  The more gender neutral roles, the better.

We favor plays and musicals with ensemble casts, where more than just a few have a chance to shine.
Plays with elaborate set, costume or technical requirements are not appealing because of the limited resources of many of our customers.  Pictures, sketches or descriptions of your vision are always helpful.

We recommend your submissions have had at least one production or reading, hopefully staged.  We feel this fundamental field test is necessary before a play can be considered for publication since plays are created for the purpose of performance.
Manuscripts must be computer-printed in dark ink.  We do not require specific formatting.  However, your efforts to ensure your script is free of misspellings and typos will help the submissions editor.
We hope that Pioneer Drama is your first choice as a publisher, and we encourage you to submit to us exclusively.  However, we do accept simultaneous submissions with the understanding that you will accept the first contract you’re offered and not use the situation to seek multiple offers from which to choose.  If you receive another offer, please notify us immediately so we may rescind your submission.

NOTE:  If you are not already published by Pioneer Drama Service and your submission meets all other requirements including having had at least one production or staged reading, your play will automatically be entered in the Shubert Fendrich Memorial Playwriting Contest.  If you are a faculty member at an accredited K-12 public or private school in the US or Canada, you may also qualify for our A+ Playwriting Contest for Teachers.

Check out our list of past contest winners for examples of desirable submissions.

Submission Requirements
Please be patient.  Queries will be answered within approximately one week.  Submissions may take up to three months or longer.

The following information must accompany your submission or query:

• 100-200 word synopsis.
• Cast list that indicates the number of female roles, the number of male roles and the number of roles that can be performed by either gender.  We do not accept one-person shows.
• Running time.
• CD and/or score for musicals.  We appreciate the opportunity to hear the music, if possible.
• Set design(s).  Please feel free to provide diagrams and/or pictures.
• Proof of production or staged reading (i.e., review, program, etc.)  A DVD of your performance is ideal, though not required.
• Age of intended audience.
• A self-addressed envelope of sufficient size with appropriate postage for the return of your materials.  We will NOT return manuscripts or accompanying material if this is not included.
• Cover letter and/or resume.

Please send your query or manuscript and accompanying information to:

Pioneer Drama Service, Inc.
Attn: Submissions Editor
PO Box 4267
Englewood, CO  80155-4267

You may also email us your .txt, .doc or .pdf files after you contact us here.

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Celtic Calling Playwright Contest 2020

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Calling all playwrights, storytellers, bards, jesters, minstrels and other like-minded folk!

Celtic Calling is now accepting submissions of original plays, vignettes, or one-acts, not to exceed thirty minutes, with a Celtic theme, to be performed during the weekend of the Fifth Annual Celtic Calling, March 6-8th, 2020, at a location to be determined. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2019, and the winning submission will be announced no later than January 15, 2020.

A $100 stipend will be provided to the writer(s) of the winning entry.

1.All proposals and scripts must be typewritten and emailed to CelticCallingCopperPintPlay@gmail.com by December 31, 2019, at 5:00pm.
PDFs preferred.

2. Multiple submissions are permitted, as are collaborations between writers.

3. The submission must be original, and the entrant must have the rights of performance and broadcast prior to submission. Celtic Calling will be granted exclusive rights of performance from the time of submission through March 31, 2019. Celtic Calling will be granted the right to permit the broadcast of the winning submissions, all or in part, in perpetuity.

4. The play should not exceed thirty minutes.

5. The play must have at least two characters with speaking roles.

6. Celtic Calling may charge for tickets to the performance, which will go to offset the costs of production of the play(s) and/or festival.

7. The submission must have a ‘Celtic’ theme, which is solely up to the interpretation of the reading committee.

8.The play(s) will be selected by a committee, whose decisions are final, including the decision not to decide, should the entries not meet the requirements or other standards.

Share Your Theater Story 2019 - Benjamin Peel

THE INTERROGATOR by Benjamin Peel
 Leigh Anne West and Patrick Shane

Thanks to Benjamin Peel for sharing his theater story.

I am a UK playwright and in March 2019 my play The Interrogator was performed as part of The New Short Play Festival at the American Theatre of Actors, New York. It was subsequently recorded and broadcast on a UK community radio station later in the year. In December I was informed that a full length play of mine had reached the semifinal round in the Thomas Wolfe International Playwriting Competition organised by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which I came across on the NYC Playwrights Blog. In January my short play The Long Player is being recorded by Ragged Foils for their second podcast season. Thank you for the hard work you do in promoting all these wonderful opportunities and I look forward to entering as many as possible in 2020.

Science Fiction Theatre Festival

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We're looking for groundbreaking short science fiction plays, for writers coming from all walks of life, for daring and innovative creators, for new ideas, revolutionary dreams, crazy stories, for the bold, the daring, and the unique.

These are the details:

• Length: Up to 15 minutes per play.
• Cast: Up to 4 performers.
• Set restrictions: The stage will be shared with several other companies; time for setting up will be minimal, so don't submit anything that involves complicated set design, or too many props.
• Submission limit: Writers can submit as many plays as they want. We will do our best to read all the material sent, and to get back to every applicant in due time.
• International entries are welcome. You do not have to be based in the UK, but the play must be in English language.

Deadline: Saturday 1st of February 2020. Plays sent after this date won't be considered for the festival. 
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Selection process:
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Once the deadline is closed, we'll read all of the plays submitted. Yes, all of them. From beginning to end. We'll select between 16 and 20 plays, and get back to every writer who has applied. Unfortunately, we won't be able to provide feedback for all but, if you specifically ask for it, we would try our best to get back to you. Sometimes, if necessary, we will ask writers for edits, but only if there is something that we really need changed in order to program the play. Edits are generally related to length, or number of characters.
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What happens next:
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The selected plays will be paired with directors and cast, and will be given one or two slots during the festival. This means that, as a writer, once you have submitted your play, and done any necessary edits, your work is done (unless you want to get involved in a different capacity as well). Once the festival is over, we will share any profit between all participants. We have an open books policy.
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This project is currently on a profit share basis. We are applying for funding but are not able to confirm if it will come through until a later date.

​How to apply:
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1) Fill in this form
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2) Send your script to: scifitheatre@gmail.com
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We are aiming to program up to 20 short plays during the festival. Depending on the quality of the material received, and the length of the plays selected, that number could change.
​
We look forward to reading your science fiction plays!

Share Your Theater Story 2019: Deb Victoroff

THE TRAGEDY OF THE ELECTION OF THE CITRUS KING
Matt Biagini and Laura King-Otazo directed by Emily Synder

Thanks to Deb Victoroff for sending her theater story.

I'm responding to your wonderful invitation to send you pix and info about past productions/accomplishments for the year! 

I am attaching 3 visuals from the production of my play "The Tragedy of the Election of the Citrus King" which appeared in the New York Winterfest of New Plays this March 2019.  

The visuals are the program poster and two shots from the production which starred Matt Biagini and Laura King-Otazo (directed by Emily Snyder).

Shakespeare in the ‘Burg 2020 Annual One-Act Playwriting Competition

web site

We present a new challenge for 2020!

Shakespeare in the ‘Burg is pleased to announce our seventh annual one-act playwriting competition, in conjunction with our Shakespeare in the ‘Burg theater festival, but this year we are changing things up a bit. Read on to discover how.

Once again, we will be awarding cash prizes to our winners. Each of our three winners will receive $550. 

Please note that you can write in any style you choose; this is not a “Shakespeare” writing competition, so plays in any genre are welcome.

However, this year we are presenting a new challenge to playwrights. Plays will be limited to a maximum of three characters! Your play should also be no longer than 30 minutes. This allows us to present the three winning plays in staged readings.

Please bear in mind that your script will be performed for an audience of all ages. We ask that topics and language reflect the fact that we will have younger children in the audience. Submissions falling outside the parameters outlined above may be discarded without being read, at the discretion of the judges. If you are uncertain about this requirement, please feel free to contact us.

We appreciate your sensitivity and cooperation in this regard.

Competition Rules:

Open to all playwrights

Scripts must be original. Musicals, monologues, film scripts and television scripts are not eligible.

Running times of no more than 30 minutes.

A maximum of three characters in your play!

No more than one submission per playwright. Give us your best work!

Please email your script to: genie@printmanagementinc.com, and in fact, we prefer emails. In the subject line, please write: Shakespeare in the ‘Burg One-Act Play

Submissions should include:

Playwright bio.
Contact page with name, address and telephone number of the playwright,
On all pages, please place the title of the play at the top of each numbered page.

The deadline for entries is the end of day, January 14, 2020.

Little Wonder Radio Play Competition 2019

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After last years competition resulted in more than 300 entries, over 70 pieces of individual feedback, and by the end of this year at least 9 published plays, we’re back. This is the second of our competitions this year for original unpublished 1600-2000 word full cast audio dramas for up to 4 actors.

Who is this competition for?

Unlike our breaking boundaries competition, this competition is open to anybody who can write a play by the deadline. The competition is free to enter.

What we are looking for? 1600-2000-word full cast audio dramas (that’s 10-15 minutes) written in English with no more than 4 actors.  Actors can, however, play multiple parts. The cover page does not count towards the word count.

Does it need to be a new play? Yes. We’d like to write something entirely original for us, and while it is submitted with us it’s best if it isn’t submitted somewhere else. That can cause problems with copywright, and also if muddy the waters regarding paid and unpaid work.

How should it be formatted? Our formatting guidelines and a word template can be found here. The closer you get to this, the happier we will be.

Who can enter? Anyone aged 16 or over from anywhere in the world who isn’t me, a judge (or judges family member), or a current member of the Little Wonder Writing team. Scripts will be judged blind and not informed of the condition under which you entered..

What are the entry dates? From 0001 4th Nov – 2359 31st Dec Paris Time.

When are the results?

The Longlist will be teased on twitter over the weekend from March 14th, make sure you follow us @littlwonder to join in the fun!

The Longlist will be announced on March 16th. At this point all longlistees will be given feedback and six weeks, should they wish, to revise and resubmit their play (Deadline April 30th)

The shortlist will be announced on the 1st June. These 5 plays will then be performed during the

Summer Season in Paris, where a mixed vote by the public and the judging panel will decide the winner.

What is the entry fee? Entry is free!  We are looking to encourage writers and maybe even find people we’d like to work with in the future. However, to be kept up to date with competition progress you should make sure you subscribe to the website:

Where do you send the entry? You can find the entry form by clicking here.  Complete the form, and make sure to upload your script in the file upload box with the title “my play title by my name”, using the same title and name as you used in the form.

What else do you need to do to enter? Check out the entry procedure page.  Engage with Little Wonder:  subscribe on iTunes, or Soundcloud, rate and review, listen to the plays and get an idea of the work we do.  Figure out how you would do it better.

What is the prize? All 5 shortlisted pieces will be recorded before a public audience who will vote alongside our judges panel for a winner.  The winner will be bragged about on our website and generally showered with praise.  Check the Terms and Conditions for full details.

What sort of things are we looking for?

• Imagination. Make up for the limitations of the medium (no sight) by doing something unexpected.  Tell us a story we’ve never heard before.
• A full plot. Even a ten-minute play should have a beginning, middle and an end, and characters who have problems they must confront and change to overcome.  If they just walk into the sound booth and start hitting each other with kippers you’ve written a sketch, not a radio play.  Although, to be fair, I’d be very tempted to pass that just to mess with my actors!
• Humour. You don’t need to write a comedy (in fact, it can be dark as hell), but we do look for a certain wit and intellect in what you write.  That doesn’t even mean jokes.  But show us some wit.
• 100% less misogyny. Misogynist characters are just fine in their right place but please don’t make us read another play about a struggling male writer who is surrounded by women who adore him but for some inexplicable reason won’t go out with him probably because they’re bitches.  It doesn’t have to be a feminist masterpiece but let’s stay away from certain well tread boards. 
• Use of sound. Don’t just write us a stage play without the stage directions cut out (although we do record those from time to time!)  Try to create a soundscape in your head. Plays that were obviously film/stage scripts and contain directions such as “walks silently across the stage” will be instantly disqualified.
• Make full use of your actors.  Don’t have us bring in a fourth actor just so (s)he can say one line and go home.  It’s disrespectful to the actor and isn’t making full use of the talent available.  Keep thinking to yourself:  is this a role that will be rewarding to the actor?  Chances are, if you manage that, you’ll make it rewarding for the audience as well.

Share Your Theater Story: Elise Marenson

CRITICAL AFFAIRS

Colleen O'Connell, Dave Powers

Thanks to Elise Marenson for sharing her theater story.

In 2019, I had one-acts in two NYC festivals. Both were opportunities I found through NYC Playwrights. During the summer, my drama Critical Affairs was in the LIC One-Act Play Festival at the wonderful Secret Theatre in Long Island City. In October, my dark comedy Head Trauma was in the Boo! Festival at the Players Theater on Macdougal Street. Both plays were so well received that I hope to do them again in other venues. 

LaBute New Theater Festival 2020

web site

Submissions will be accepted October 1 through December 31, 2019

Successful entries will have no more than four characters and be crafted specifically to exploit our intimate performance space. (18′ x 18′ stage) Changes in scenery or setting should be achievable quickly and with few major set moves. Our focus is on fundamental dramaturgy: plot, character and theme.

Professional, new and previously unproduced one-act play submissions should include a letter of inquiry, a synopsis and a 10-page sample from the script. Running time for each performance should not exceed 45 minutes. Up to Eight plays will be chosen. In addition, a new piece from Mr. LaBute will be performed every night for the run of the festival.

Submissions should be sent to:
LaBute New Theater Festival,
St. Louis Actors’ Studio,
360 N Boyle Ave,
St. Louis, MO 63108

For more information: 314-458-2978 or help@stlas.org

Teatro LATEA seeks full-length scripts

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Is looking for full length stage scripts by Afro-Latinx playwrights to produce a staged reading during the second week of January 2020 in honor of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.

No fee to submit

The theater will produce the staged reading.

Only for New York City based playwrights.

Deadline: December 30th

To submit please email a PDF file to tatironderos@gmail.com

The playwright will be notified on January 3rd if their play was selected.

New, never produced plays are encouraged, but not mandatory.

Women Are Funny 2020 Prize

web site

Send your full-length comedic script, and if it’s the funniest, you will receive $100 and confirmation that you are hilarious.

• Full-length comedic scripts (75-120 pages)
• Written in English within the last three years
• Female playwrights based anywhere
• Unpublished, no professional production but amateur, university productions, and readings ok
• No restrictions on subject matter but please no screenplays, solo plays, or children’s plays
• Limited to first 100 entries
• No entry fee
• Deadline: December 31, 2019

 How to Submit

• Email your script as a PDF to playmakersspokane@gmail.com. File name should be TitleOfPlay_Your Last Name
• Write Submission – Title of Play in subject line
• In body of email, list your name and email. EU residents, please send a statement that you give consent to process your personal information.
• Be sure to include your name in the script

Notes

• Winners must be able to accept payment via PayPal or Venmo.
• Play-Makers Spokane will not use your information for purposes other than communicating with you about this contest. We will not give or sell your information to anyone. You also will not be added to any mailing lists.
• When we say funny, we mean funny, not mildly amusing.

Feel free to contact Sandra Hosking, Women Are Funny Coordinator, playmakersspokane@gmail.com, with any questions.

Share Your Theater Story 2019: Karen Cecilia

IVY WALLS with Johana Davila and Tahlia Chinault

Thanks to Karen Cecilia for sharing her theater story.

Karen Cecilia
Playwright/Screenwriter/Educator
www.karencecilia.com

My one act play Ivy Walls was a finalist in the Theatre Odyssey One Act Play fest, Sarasota FL and produced there. 

I found the listing for submission on NYC Playwrights. 

Here's press about it.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/entertainmentlife/20190822/theatre-odyssey-picks-four-one-acts-for-fall-festival 

Thank you for sharing my success story

The Bridge Award 2020

web site

The Bridge Award was established with the purpose of recognizing an emerging playwright of exceptional talent within the United States military. The award consists of a $10,000 prize and an AITAF produced reading of the winning work. The 2020 final selecting judge will be David Henry Hwang.

In addition to bringing world-class theater to the military, AITAF is committed to supporting and sharing the talents of those who serve. This award offers a deserving current military service member or veteran artist important connections with the theater community and access to developmental resources, helping to facilitate a deeper understanding and more active dialogue between military and civilian communities.

Submissions for the 2020 Bridge Award will be from December 1, 2019 until February 1, 2020.

The Bridge Award was established with the purpose of recognizing an emerging playwright of exceptional talent within the United States military. The award consists of a $10,000 prize and an AITAF produced reading of the winning work. The 2020 final selecting judge will be David Henry Hwang.

In addition to bringing world-class theater to the military, AITAF is committed to supporting and sharing the talents of those who serve. This award offers a deserving current military service member or veteran artist important connections with the theater community and access to developmental resources, helping to facilitate a deeper understanding and more active dialogue between military and civilian communities.

Submissions Coordinator/Reader Committee Chair
Anna O’Donoghue

AITAF encourages first time playwrights to submit!
View Playwriting Resources
The awarded playwright receives:
$10,000 prize.
An AITAF produced reading of the winning play, in NYC or on base (if the winning playwright is in active duty) with a professional director and cast.
A reception and feedback session following the reading.

Eligibility/Guidelines:

• Author must currently serve or have served in the United States military. All selected finalists will be required to provide proof of service.
• All submissions must be full-length, completed plays.
• Musicals, screenplays, or one-act plays are ineligible.
• All submissions must be unpublished.
• The submitted play may not have received a professional, reviewed production.
• The submitted play may address any subject matter or theme; military settings or content are not given any extra consideration.
• Each author may submit one play per year; multiple submissions are not allowed.
• Once a play has been submitted, no further revisions or new drafts may be entered during that judging cycle. Each submitted play is eligible for one re-submission (with or without revision) in a subsequent judging cycle.
• Plays with a producer, producing organization or theater attached are not eligible.

Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules. The AITAF Bridge Award Competition (“Competition”) is held by Arts in the Armed Forces, 220 36th Street, B520, Unit 21, Brooklyn, New York (“Host”).

PARTICIPATION DATES AND PROMOTION STRUCTURE: The Competition will open at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Standard Time on December 1, 2019 and ends on 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on February 1, 2020 (“Submission Period”). One (1) Winner will be selected from among all eligible submissions received during the Submission Period and announced on or approximately on April 15th, 2020.

ELIGIBILITY: The Competition is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are age 18 or over and currently serve or have previously served in the United States military at the time of entry. Individuals stationed on U.S. military bases overseas are eligible to enter. Employees, representatives, agents, officers, and directors of Host (including competition judges) and all its respective parents, subsidiaries, members, divisions, affiliates, advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies (“Host and Promotion Parties”), and those individuals who are immediate family members of Host and Promotion Parties, or persons living in the same household as, or domiciled with, Host and Promotion Parties, are not eligible to participate in the Competition. “Immediate family” means parents, siblings, children and spouse. Void where prohibited. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.

HOW TO ENTER: During the Submission Period, entrants must submit one (1) full-length, completed manuscript of a play meeting the submission requirements below to the following website: https://aitaf.org/the-bridge-award/. Entrants must submit the play as a single PDF file with the title in the following format: “Title of Play.PDF.” Each entrant must also submit at the time of entry a brief statement not exceeding 250 words describing the entrant’s current or prior military service, including dates of service, military branch, and foreign countries served in, if applicable. No other method of entry is accepted. Any entries submitted before or after the Submission Period will be disqualified. Limit one entry per person.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: To be considered as eligible, an entry:

• Must be a full-length, completed play
• Must not be a musical, screenplay, one act play, children’s play, adaptation, translation, or fan fiction play
• Must be the entrant’s own original work and cannot be co-authored
• Must be typed in the English language
• Must not have been previously produced or published. (Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production are permitted).
• Must not be under option, commissioned, or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission
• Must not violate the intellectual property rights of any third party
• All entries are considered final; once an entrant submits an entry, no further drafts or revisions to the entry are permitted. By submitting an entry, entrant warrants and represents that he/she consents to the submission and use of the entry in the Competition and to its use as otherwise set forth herein. Personal information gathered about entrants will be used solely for the administration of the Competition and will not be sold or distributed to third parties besides Host and Promotion Parties. Entries that do not meet the criteria above may be automatically disqualified. All decisions regarding the submission requirements are made by Host in its sole discretion and are final. Entries will not be returned.

WINNER SELECTION: Three (3) to five (5) Finalists and one (1) Winner will be selected from among all eligible entries. As this is a skill competition, the odds of winning depend on the number of entries received and the relative merit of the entrants as demonstrated through judging by Hosts’s representatives.

Judging for the Finalists and Winner will be conducted by a panel of independent, qualified professional readers designated by Host, with final decisions made by the panel chairperson. The Winning play will be selected by the Head Judge according to the Judge's assessment of the artistic craft demonstrated, the uniqueness of the author's voice, and the power of the play's themes. Plays containing military themes or content will not be afforded any special consideration during judging.

Finalists will be notified on or about April 15th, 2020. Host will set up an interview with each Finalist, which may be conducted in person or by phone, at the mutual convenience of Finalist and Host. One Winner will be selected by Host from among all Finalists. The Winner will be announced publicly on or approximately on May 1, 2020.

The Finalist selected by the Host to be the Winner will be notified in advance of the public announcement. In order to be awarded a prize and declared the Winner, a selected Finalist must pass a background check and sign and complete a General Release of Liability and Nondisclosure Agreement and return it to Host within 10 days of the date of receipt of the Grand Prize Winner notification. Host is not responsible for and shall not be liable for late, lost, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts to deliver the notification to selected Finalists. If a selected Finalist is ineligible, fails to claim a prize, fails to successfully pass the background check, or fails to timely return the completed and executed General Release of Liability and Nondisclosure Agreement within 10 days of initial contact, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate Finalist. If the selected Finalist has moved to a different address, it is the sole responsibility of the selected Finalist to notify the Host or designated agent of the selected Finalist’s new address. Host is not responsible for any undeliverable prize deliveries due to change of address.

PRIZE: The Winner will receive: (a) a $10,000 prize; (b) a reading of the Winner’s play produced by Host with a professional director and cast, an award presentation, and a reception and feedback session. The reading of the winning play will take place in New York, NY unless the Winner is on active military duty, in which case Host may arrange for the reading to take place on the Winner’s military base, pending location. Active Duty Military personnel mucst be granted approval to receive the prize by their chain of command. No alternative prizes or substitution is permitted, except by Host in its sole discretion in the event of prize unavailability. Prizes are not transferable or convertible to cash. Winner is subject to verification. Taxes of any kind, including all federal, state, provincial and/or local taxes, are the sole responsibility of Winner. Winner will be issued an IRS 1099 form for all prizes above $600 USD, where applicable.

The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest

Attention playwrights - The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest isn't playwriting, but we thought you might be interested anyway:

Since 1982 the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest has challenged man, woman, and (very precocious) child to write an atrocious opening sentence to a hypothetical bad novel. We're honored to receive thousands of odious entries from around the world each year.

Learn more at BYLINES

Share Your Theater Story: Sharon Baker

LOVE AND DEATH IN. EDEN AUSTRALIA  presented at South Florida’s Under the Sun Festival
Sharon Baker toasts her theatrical team in Aventura Florida

Thanks to Sharon Baker for sharing her theater story.

Sharon Baker is a new Associate member of The Dramatist’s Guild of America
And The Playwright’s Center, Minneapolis.
Google her travel essays, under Sharon Spence Lieb.
Contact: sharonspencelieb@gmail.com

I wrote a ten-minute play, “Love and Death in Eden, Australia.” A strange tale from a visit to Eden, Australia: about orca killer whales rounding up humpback whales, and delivering them to humans who harpoon them to death. The play is about murder, passion, and a woman’s discovery of her bizarre identity. 

On Monday July 28, my dream of becoming a first time Playwright came true. Sitting in the audience at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center in Aventura Florida, I was thrilled and terrified. My ten minute play was about to go from page to stage as part of “Stages of the Sun,” an evening of 8 new innovative short plays, presented by The South Florida Theatre League.

Share Your Theater Story 2019: Lorna Brown

Back row from left: Bethany Brown, Lorna Brown, Jazmine Cornielle, Yvette Willit 
Front row from left: Senela Lukovic, Brittany Brown

Thanks to Lorna Brown for sharing her theater story.

This summer I participated in The Summerfest @The Hudson Guild Theater.
The name of my production was WHEN THE BOTTOM FALLS OUT. 

The production was about a woman who became homeless after losing her children in a custody battle with her ex. This had the audience in suspense as they try to figure out why she was homeless and the whereabouts of her children. The end was a shocker and an eye-opener to the plight of the homeless.

Share Your Theater Story 2019: Judith Pratt

Thanks to Judith Pratt for sharing her theater story.

www.judithpratt.com

My play MAIZE was chosen as one of three plays to be part of the Lousiana State University Baton Rouge SciArts Festival. It was a wonderful experience.
We were paid, *and* we were flown to Baton Rouge and put up in very large and comfortable dormitory suites. We were shown around the city, and even invited to a Mardi Gras Krewe party!  Thanks, Vince LiCata! Vince is a plant geneticist and a playwright. 

Each play got a rehearsed reading. My director, Rachel Aker, not only got a fine cast, which she directed well, but took two of us (all three playwrights were women!) to Sephora because we lacked essential makeup. 

The other playwrights were Jacqueline Bircher, "Another Revolution" and Kristin Idaszak, "The Surest Poison." Both are on the New Play Exchange. Check them out. (I'm there, too!) 

Maize is about real people: Barbara McClintock, a Nobel-winning maize geneticist, her friend Marcus Rhodes, and her protege, Nina Federoff, as well as James Watson of DNA-structure fame. It also includes a young version of Barbara. 

I was especially lucky to get Thomas Eldon Anderson and Cristine Mcmurdo-Wallis as Marcus and Barbara. Cristine has acted at Portland Stage, Seattle Rep, and the Mark Taper Forum, to name a few. Tom went to Ithaca College--in the town where I live--and we know a lot of the same people! Glenn Underwood played Jim, and Victoria Myssik played Young Barbara. 

Kaitlin Kerr played Nina. She did it very well. She did it especially well, because the real Nina Federoff was in the audience. I was terrified, but Dr. Federoff was both genial and fascinating. Vince, Rachel and I met her for coffee on the morning of the performance, and we talked about plant genetics. After the show, Dr. Federoff immediately talked with and congratulated the cast.  

In the talk-back, I learned that I made only one huge error in the script--now fixed!
Dr. F. is a is Senior Science Advisor regarding the use of modern molecular methods for improving agricultural plants, animals and microorganisms. She advised the federal government on these things, while maintaining her lab at Penn State University. If she has time, she will check some of the other science in MAIZE.  

Dr. Federoff gave a talk about GMO isssues. If you are opposed to anything GMO, consider this:  

Genetically Modified Banana in Uganda 13 - YouTube
Or consider mosquitoes bearing the Zika virus. Spray for them, killing bees and possibly hurting humans, or release GMO created sterile male mosquitoes and reduce the mosquito population by as much as 90%. 

Rant over!  I am hoping that the Louisiana State Theatre Department continues. Theatre can do a lot to make science interesting and accessible. 

Judith 

p.s. hmmm, maybe a play about GMO issues?

Neon Cactus Playhouse 2020 Playwrights Festival

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Neon Cactus Playhouse is currently accepting submissions of new one-act and full-length plays or musicals for the Blooming in the Desert New Play Festival, a showcase of staged readings June 15-24, 2020. The purpose of our event is to bring together strong theatrical voices, and to explore new scripts.

The new theater is looking for submissions that tell the story of the people of the LGBTQ community by the LGBTQ community. Selected scripts will be presented to the public as staged readings. The staged readings will have a director and cast assigned from our greater Phoenix theater community.

Submission period will be August 1 - December 31, 2019.

Entrants will be notified in January 2020 regarding their submission.

Submissions should be emailed to playwrights@neoncactusphx.com with "2020 Submission" in the subject line.

RULES OF ENTRY
• The contest is open to playwrights who identify as LGBTQ and is for new one-act or full-length plays or musicals.
• Plays submitted to the contest must not have been previously published or produced.
• Plays submitted which have had workshop productions or staged readings are eligible and encouraged.
• We are only accepting electronic submissions in Word or PDF format.
• No fee to submit.
• Musicals must send music through a cloud storage service, like Dropbox.

The script must be submitted, along with:
• A statement that the play will not have been published or professionally produced as of June 24, and that it is not under option for publication or professional production nor will it be under such option
• A list of the play's workshop productions, if any, and awards received, if any.
• A title page that includes the playwright's name, playwright's contact details, a brief synopsis of the play, and the character list with any important character details

Plays that do not meet the above requirements will not be considered.

The long-term goal of Neon Cactus is to grow to become a major force in the local community theater venue, and as a regional theater that serves audiences throughout the Valley and beyond. Neon Cactus Playhouse contributions will be a new, exciting and magical contribution to Phoenician Community Theater.

Neon Cactus mission strives to develop an inclusive environment for artists while creating immersive performances for theatergoers to deepen and enrich the theatrical experience.

Science Fiction Theatre Festival

web site


THE PLEASANCE THEATRE - Downstairs
19th - 23rd May 2020 London,UK
 7pm, 3:30pm

Submissions for Horatio Productions' Science Fiction Festival 2020 are open!
​
Submissions open:
​
We're looking for groundbreaking short science fiction plays, for writers coming from all walks of life, for daring and innovative creators, for new ideas, revolutionary dreams, crazy stories, for the bold, the daring, and the unique. These are the details:
​
Length: Up to 15 minutes per play.

Cast: Up to 4 performers.

Set restrictions: The stage will be shared with several other companies; time for setting up will be minimal, so don't submit anything that involves complicated set design, or too many props.

Submission limit: Writers can submit as many plays as they want. We will do our best to read all the material sent, and to get back to every applicant in due time.

International entries are welcome. You do not have to be based in the UK, but the play must be in English language.

Deadline: Saturday 1st of February 2020. 

Plays sent after this date won't be considered for the festival.
​
Selection process:
​
Once the deadline is closed, we'll read all of the plays submitted. Yes, all of them. From beginning to end. We'll select between 16 and 20 plays, and get back to every writer who has applied.
Unfortunately, we won't be able to provide feedback for all but, if you specifically ask for it, we would try our best to get back to you. Sometimes, if necessary, we will ask writers for edits, but only if there is something that we really need changed in order to program the play. Edits are generally related to length, or number of characters.
​
What happens next:
​
The selected plays will be paired with directors and cast, and will be given one or two slots during the festival. This means that, as a writer, once you have submitted your play, and done any necessary edits, your work is done (unless you want to get involved in a different capacity as well). Once the festival is over, we will share any profit between all participants. We have an open books policy.
​
This project is currently on a profit share basis. We are applying for funding but are not able to confirm if it will come through until a later date.

​How to apply:
​​
1) Fill in this form
​
2) Send your script to: scifitheatre@gmail.com
​
We are aiming to program up to 20 short plays during the festival. Depending on the quality of the material received, and the length of the plays selected, that number could change.
​
We look forward to reading your science fiction plays!

Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award for Playwriting 2020

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The Neukom Institute, the Dartmouth Department of Theater and Vox Theater have once again joined together for the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award for Playwriting.

The award-winning play will receive a workshop and public reading at VoxFest at Dartmouth College (July 5-13 2020) followed by an additional workshop and reading in the 2020/2021 season at Northern Stage, a LORT-D theater in White River Junction, VT.

Plays should be written in response to the prompt: “What does it mean to be a human in a computerized, digital world?”

The award comes with a $5,000 honorarium.

Submissions must include a blind copy of the play, a resume/bio, a production history of the play and a one page statement of purpose that answers the following questions:

1. How does your play address the theme of exploring humanity in our computerized, digital world?
2. What are your goals for this play in its current form?
3. The winning play will receive two readings: one at VoxFest at Dartmouth College and the second in the 2020/2021 season at Northern Stage. How would you use this two-part development process to achieve these goals?

*Note that plays that have received a full production are not eligible for the competition.*

Playwrights can submit here

Deadline
December 31, 2019.

Questions?
Email Kate Mulley at kate@voxtheater.org.

Share Your Theater Story 2019: Crystal Rhodes

The Diary of Annie Mae Franklin performers (left to right) :  
Jemier Jenkins, Shelby Ronae, T.R. Butler, Fanni Green (Director), 
India Davison, Tah-Janay Hayes, and Francis Phimphivong

Thanks to Crystal Rhodes for sharing her theater story.

Crystal Rhodes
http://www.crystalrhodes.com

For me, NYCPlaywrights.org has been the most important resource I have found regarding festival submissions.  I discovered this site a little more than a year ago and since that time I have been fortunate to have won two play festivals for my latest works.   

My Two Act play, The Diary of Annie Mae Franklin, which tells the story of an African American family that hides a Japanese American escapee from a WWII internment camp, won the 2019 American Stage Theatre 21st Century New Voices Play Festival. The play enjoyed a successful stage reading in St. Petersburg, Florida in January 2019.

Recently, I was notified that my One Act play, 1200 Miles from Jerome, was selected as one of the winners of the Annual Women Playwrights Initiative for 2020, sponsored by the Ivoryton Playhouse.  1200 Miles from Jerome is the story of two very different black women who take a treacherous drive from the south to the north in the 1940s.  The play will receive a staged reading in Ivoryton, Connecticut in February 2020.  

I really appreciate this site for its support for playwrights.  I doubt if my work would have received the attention it has if not for NYCPlaywrights.org.  

LVLT’s 2020 ANNUAL NEW WORKS COMPETITION

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1. All plays must be full length (90 minutes or more). No musicals please.
2. Plays must have no more than 8 actors– doubling characters is allowed
3. The set must be simple or representational.
4. Ideally looking for subject matter that will appeal to an age range of 18 – 30.
5. Seeking new plays that have not been professionally produced or published.
6. Plays will be screened by the competition committee. The top 5 will be submitted to the judges.
7. Prizes – 1st prize = Production of the play in the Fischer Black Box in May plus $150
2nd prize = $75
3rd prize = $50
8. Contestants must sign a release form (application) to authorize production
9. Scripts cannot be returned
10. Materials that are adapted from or otherwise derived from copyrighted source material must also submit permission to use the material at the time of submission.
11. The winning author agrees to the production of his/her play with no royalty payment. The author also agrees to allow LVLT to videotape the production. LVLT cannot provide transportation, lodging or other compensation for the author to travel to Las Vegas for the production.
12. Members of LVLT’s board of directors may not submit for this competition
13. Submissions will be accepted through Dec 31, 2019. The winner will be announced no later than March 30, 2020.
14. Decision of the judges is final. Any disputes will be decided by the LVLT board of directors.
15. Only 2 submissions per person please.   If more than 2 submissions are received from an individual, only the first 2 received will be considered.
16. Each submission will be assigned a number and author’s names will not be provided on judge’s copies of the script to prevent any bias.

TheatreWorks 10 Minute Play Festival 2020

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TheatreWorks is accepting submissions for our SECOND Annual 10 Minute Play Festival, "Tales from the Brookside." Submissions MUST be sent via this form NO LATER THAN FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14th, 2020. Only submissions sent by submission form will be accepted.

The festival will be held at TheatreWorks New Milford Connecticut June 2 through 6, 2019.

A total of twenty 10 minute plays will be selected by our panel of judges from among those submitted.

TW Playwrights Workshop, held each Wednesday at 7:00pm at the theatre, is available to help further development of your play. Our doors are open to everyone.

The twenty selected plays will be presented once on one of the first three performance dates (Tues. June 2nd, Wed. 3rd or Thurs. 4th at 8:00 pm).

Two plays from each night will move into the semi-finals on Friday June 5th at 8:00pm. Four plays will be chosen from the semi-final performances for the finals on Saturday June 6th at 8:00pm.
CASH PRIZES will be awarded to the winners in each category (more to follow as we approach the event)

Playwrights (or their representatives) are responsible for the production of their plays-including casting, rehearsaals, props, etc. TheatreWorks New Milford will provide limited set pieces, lighting/sound equipment and the production staff.

Submissions MUST be received NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 14th, 2020 and typed in standard play-script format, and be no more than ten (10) pages in a font size no smaller than 12-point.

Only plays with running times of ten (10) minutes or less will be eligible for prizes. Plays that run beyond 10 minutes may be subject to disqualification.

Submissions MUST include playwright contact info on the title page. Judging is based on audience/panel of judges combination.

Selectees will be notified BY MARCH 20th, 2020. Early submissions may receive early notification.
A maximum of two submissions per playwright will be accepted.

Please note: There will be a mandatory pre-production meeting for ALL playwrights and/or their representatives in mid-May 2020. Exact date to be announced when selections are final and playwrights have been notified.

SUBMISSION FORM

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